Chair construction



28, 1952 T. A. FRIEDLANDER CHAIR CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 22, 1948 I I I I g v NI ATTO R N EY5 Oct. 28, 1952 T. A. FRIEDLANDER CHAIR CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Oct. 22, 1948 Patented Oct. 28, 1952 S PAT E NT FF I CE CHAI-R CONSTRUCTION Thomas A. Friedlander, Baltimore, Md. Application-October 22, 1948, Serial No. 55,999

.1 Theipres'ent invention relateszito a novel chair construction. More particularly, the present inventionreiates to a chair including a novelfran'le therfdfi.

Upholsteredchairs 'as now producedfinclud'e a frame portion functioning as a support for the cushions and other upholstered sections of the chair. This frame portion is generally integral with the legs, and-it has been customary in manufactui ing chair-s of this type to have the rear legs extending -'generally downward in the same plane a's the back-L When the back of the 'chair is' upnol's'tered', therefore, will extend outwardly beyond the rear le'gs o'f the chairand if the chair is pushed toward a wall, the back will tend to strike the wall resulting in wear on the icha'ir and, in some instances;discoloration or abr'asion of the waif g It is one of. the objects of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel'chair wherein the "rear legs extend rearwardly from the back thereof so that when the chair is placed in proxiniityfto a wall the legs of. the chair will strike the baseboard or lower portion of the wall and prevent contact of the back of the chair therewith.-

A second general object of the present invention is to .provide a' novel frame construction including the rear legs of a chair wherein the rear legs extend :re'arwardly a-substantial distance.

third general object of the present invention isftoprovide anovelchair construction including. af-rame, a portion of the frame being constitutedby' rear leg members which are firmly held imposition and joined tothe remaining portions of the frame: structure. v r

A fourth. object of the present invention is to provide a chair construction, and particularly '4 Claims. (01. '155'196) Figure 4 is a detail perspective of the construction of the frame member;

Figure 5 is a further detail perspective illustratin'g the joints between the rear leg and the remainder of the frame;

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the legs and connecting members;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of thefront leg of Fig.6 taken from the reverse side thereof;

Figure 8' is a plan view of a portion of a modified joint construction;

Figure 9 is an exploded view of the rear and front leg of the modified construction;

Figure 10* is a side elevation of the-modification corresponding to Fig. -8 and t Figure 11 is a fragmentary view illustrating another modified form of the invention.

Referring to the figures of the drawingsand particularly Fig. 1 thereof, a chair frame is indiaqframe therefor, including a novel connecting .jointbetween a protruding. rear legand the the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1

Figure 1 is-a side elevation o'fa frame member in accordance with the present invention; :Figure 2 is a'frontelevation of the frame memberof Fig. :1;

Figure3 is a plan" view of the frame member mi 1;

cated in general-at 10'. This chair frame is adapted to be covered with a suitable upholstery so as to form the chair corresponding in shape to" the dotted lines indicated at I I. shown,.

the chair frame includes four aleg members including the rear leg members ['2 and 13 and the front leg members F4 and 15. The rear leg mem- "bers are of generally curved conformation and chair beyond thevertical plane of the back or upper end of the leg member will produceia'relatively great amount of twist or turning moment at the point of connection between the rear legs and the horizontal frame members, as willbe hereafter pointed out in detail. The rear-leg member 12 is connected to the rear leg member 13 by a pair of horizontal structural members Hand 18. The'rear leg member 12 is. connected to the front leg member I 4 by a pair of horizontal structural members [-9 and 20. The rear leg member 13 is connected to the front leg member l5 by a pair of horizontal membersi2'l' and; 221;" .As :best shown in Fig. 6, the .horizontal'":mem-

bers -21 and '22 are joined to the rear 'l'eg'rl3 and I thefront leg l5 by a joint construction especially desirable for resisting the turning 'monientiof the rear leg 13 at the point of connection between the rear leg and the horizontal members. The joint includes a T-shaped male member indicated at 23 and extending from a pair of shoulders 23a and 2327 at the end of the horizontal structural member 2! which is adapted to fit into a T- shaped female joint portion 24 in the leg E3; the male portion 23 and shoulders 23a and 232) forming a generally H-shaped male portion having a part thereof fitting into the T-shaped female portion 24 and the shoulders 23a and 23b fitted against the inside edge 13a of the leg 13. Preferably the female portion 24 is not cut completely through the leg so as to enable an easy assembly of the leg l3 with the horizontal structural member 2!. By utilizing this type of joint any twist or turning moment will be resisted by the horizontal portions of the T, as, for example, the surface 25 and also by the remainder of the joint construction. A similar type of joint connects the leg i3 to the horizontal structural members i7 and ia, the member I! being provided with a similar T-shaped end 26 extending from a pair of shoulders 26a and 262) which fits into a T-shaped cut 27 in the rear leg. l3.

As shown in Fig. 6, the rear leg I3 is preferably formed from a pair of pieces indicated at 28 and 29. As may be understood, by forming the rear leg from a pair of pieces it is very much easier to produce the T-shaped female portions of the 4 joint.

The front leg I is provided with a pair of T- shaped female joint portions toward its lower end, these female joint portions being indicated at 30 and 3!. The portion 38 is adapted to receive the male portion 32 on the end of the horizontal frame member 2|. The portion 3! is adapted to receive a similar T-shaped portion 33, as best shown in Fig. 2, on the horizontal connection member 34. Similarly the member 22 is provided with a pair of T-shaped male members 35 and 36 which are received respectively within the female portions 31 and 38 on the rear leg 13 and the front leg 15 respectively.

The rear and front legs are also held together by a suitable arm rest 39 which is suitably fastened at its front and rear ends to the legs. As may be understood, the various frame members are assembled and held together with a suitable glue supplemented by nails or screws or other fastening means.

In the modification of Figs. 8 to inclusive,

a'modified form of construction is illustrated.

The horizontal structural members, indicated at 48 and 4| respectively, are each provided with reduced ends 42 and 43 respectively, adapted to fit into slotted or cut portions 44, 45 and 48, at the lower end of the rear leg l2, for example, as

best shown in Figs. 8' and 10. The corresponding front leg [4 is also provided with slotted or cut portions 41, 48 and 49 which are adapted to similarly receive reduced ends of the horizontal frame that the reduced ends 42 and 43 are fitted into' the rear leg i2 for assembly in such a manner that a plurality of horizontal contacting surfaces are provided to take the turning moment of the rear leg.

Referring to Figure 11 there is shown a portion of a rear leg l2 illustrating a modified form of joint. In this form of the invention, the horizontal structural member is is provided with a keystone shaped end 53 so as to provide a pair of edges 54 and 55 capable of fulfilling the function of the T male member previously described, and angularly disposed relative to the vertical bearing surfaces 56 at the end of the keystone and the vertical shoulders 5'1 and 58. In other words, the edges 54 and 55, together with the other bearing surfaces, are capable of resisting the turning moment between the rear leg 12 and the horizontal structural member I9. As may be understood, the remaining joints may be similarly provided with a keystone shaped male member fitting into a suitable female member in the leg l2 or in the other legs of the chair.

Although in the present description of the invention the article of furniture incorporating the present improvements has been described and shown as a chair, it is within the more general scope of the present invention to utilize a chair of any width and to embody the present invention within other similar articles of furniture, such as those known as sofas, and where in the present description and claims the term chairfds used, such other articles of furniture are thereby included. r

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to whatis shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a chair construction, a frame for use as a base for upholstery, comprising a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs, horizontal structural members connecting said front and rear legs, each of said rear legs having an upper portion forming a back and a lower portion forming the support for said frame, said rear legs having a gradually increasing taper extending from said upper portion toward said lower portion, the rear portion of said rear legs including said upper and lower portions having a curved configuration, said curved lower portion extendingrearwardly beyond said curved upper portion so as to prevent contact of said back with a generally vertical surface. when said chair is positioned adjacent thereto, and joint means including interlocking portions having coacting vertical bearing surfaces and angularly disposed surfaces resisting a turning moment and connecting said rear legs and said horizontal structural members at the thickest section of said rear legs, thereby providing greater rigidity for said frame 2. In a chair construction, a'frame for use as a base for upholstery, comprising a paifof front legs and a pair of rear legs, horizontal structural members connecting said front and rear legs, each of said rear legs having an upper portion forming a back and a lower portion forming the support for said frame, said rear legs having a gradually increasing taper'extending from said upper portion toward said lower portion, the rear portion of said rearlegs including said upper and lower portions having a curved configuration, said curved lower portion extending rearwardly beyond said curved upper portion so as to prevent contact of said backtwith a generally vertical surface when said chair-ispositioned adjacent thereto, and joint meansi'c'onnecting said rear legs and said horizontaltstruotural members at the thickest section of said rear legs, thereby providing greater rigidity for said frame, said joint means including vertical and angular surfaces.

3. In a chair construction, a frame for use as a base for upholstery, comprising a pair of front legs and a pair of tapered rear legs, horizontal structural members connecting said front and tapered rear legs, eachof said tapered rear legs having an upper portion forming a back and a lower portion forming the support for said frame, the rear portion of said tapered rear legs including said upper and lower portions having a curved configuration, said curved lower portion extending rearwardly beyond said curved upper portion so as to preventcontact of said back with a generally vertical surface when said chair is positioned adjacent thereto, and joint means connecting said tapered rear legs and said horizontal structural members, said joint means including interlocking portions having coacting vertical bearing surfaces and angularly disposed surfaces resisting a turning moment, said interlocking portions being located at the thickest portion of said legs, thereby providing greater rigidity for said frame.

4. In a chair construction, a frame for use as a base for upholstery, comprising a pair of front legs and a pair of tapered rear legs, horizontal structural members connecting said front and rear legs, each of said tapered rear legs having an upper portion forming a back and a lower portion forming the support for said frame, the

rear portion of said tapered rear legs including said upper and lower portions having a curved configuration, said curved lower portion extending rearwardly beyond said curved upper portion so as to prevent contact of said back with a generally vertical surface when said chair is positioned adjacent thereto, and joint means interlocking said tapered rear legs and said horizontal structural members at the thickest portion of said rear legs, thereby providing greater rigidity for said frame.

THOMAS A. FRiEDLANDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name liate 464,996 Rouse Dec. 15, 1891 602,574 Dalton Apr. 19, 1898 693,197 White Feb. 11, 1902 904,469 Anderson Nov. 17, 1908 1,225,431 Gelbert May 8, 1917- 1,257,389 Platt Feb, 26, 1918 2,035,489 McArthur Mar. 31, 1936 2,369,930 Wagner Feb. 20, 1945 2,510,243 Mohring June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,903 Great Britain of 1889 494,614

Great Britain Oct. 28, 1938 

